Weapons
Introduction There are a wide range of weapons available if there was a case of zombie outbreak. Picking the right weapons can be a life or death decision. This page will help you decide which weapons would suit different circumstances. Firearms A firearm is a weapon that fires either single or multiple projectiles propelled at high velocity by the gases produced through rapid, confined burning of a propellant. Because of the power of most firearms, with enough skill you will be able to take zombies out with a single shot from a safe distance. However, firearms require ammunition, which can weigh a person down, and they make noise, which can attract nearby zombies. When choosing a firearm, it is always advised that one selects a weapon that fires a common ammunition type that has low to medium recoil. High-powered rounds will strain the shooter, and exotic ammunition may be difficult to find during a crisis. Handguns Handguns are weapons that are designed to be drawn, aimed and fired with one hand. They are usually small, light, and have low recoil, making them easy to carry and use. However, they are also fairly difficult to aim at long range, especially at a target as small as a zombie's head. They are best suited to close encounters and indoor combat. The two types of handguns are semi-automatic pistols and revolvers. Semi-auto pistols can fire as quickly as one can pull the trigger, and are fed through detachable magazines. They can hold a great deal of ammo (most 9mm magazines hold 15 rounds), and they can be affixed with silencers to reduce the noise that they make. However, the higher number of moving parts makes semi-auto handguns jam far more easily. Revolvers are fed through a chamber that rotates whenever the gun is cocked. They are known for being extremely reliable, low-maintenance weapons - in fact, it is often said that a revolver will absolutely never jam, no matter how much abuse it is put through. Also, revolvers are often chambered for more powerful rounds than their semi-auto counterparts, such as the venerable .357 Magnum. However, revolvers hold less ammunition than semi-autos (most revolver chambers hold only 6 rounds), and can take longer to reload. Recommended handguns include semi-autos chambered in 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP, and revolvers chambered in .38 Special and .357 Magnum (the latter is preferred, as it can also fire .38 rounds without a problem). All of these rounds are common, and have low to medium recoil. Larger calibers, such as the .44 Magnum, typically constitute overkill against a zombie at anything less that the outer limits of a conventional pistol's range. Of particular note are rimfire handguns chambered in the .22 Long Rifle cartridge; though underpowered by conventional standards, the round is easy to transport (fifty rounds can fit in the palm of your hand), plentiful (no self-respecting gun store would fail to carry it), has negligible recoil, noise, and muzzle flash, and is effective at the close-quarters ranges where the handgun comes into its own. It also can fragment or ricochet inside of an organic target, causing tremendous trauma. This is especially handy with a head-shot. Rifles Rifles are firearms that are designed to hit targets at long range. There are four types of rifles: bolt-action rifles, lever-action rifles, semi-auto rifles, and assault rifles. With bolt-action rifles, fresh cartridges must be loaded into the chamber through manual operation of the bolt. With lever-action rifles, cartridges are manually loaded through the operation of a lever near the trigger guard. Semi-auto rifles automatically load cartridges whenever the trigger is pulled. Finally, assault rifles are selective-fire weapons that can fire in either semi-auto or full-auto modes. Rifles are among the best anti-zombie weapons for one simple reason: their long range. A single sharpshooter with one rifle can bust multiple zombie heads from over one hundred meters away before the zombies even have time to turn around and start walking to his or her position. In addition, it is easy to learn how to aim and fire a rifle. One's choice of rifle depends on personal preference: the slower fire rate of bolt-action and lever-action rifles can make the user less likely to shoot wildly in a panic, while semi-auto and assault rifles can take down zombies more quickly. However, when using an assault rifle, it is important to only use it in semi-auto mode - full-auto fire only wastes ammo against zombies. Also, some longer rifles may prove to be fairly bulky in close quarters. Common rifle rounds include the .223 Remington/5.56x45mm NATO, the .30-30 Winchester, the .303 British, the .30-06 Springfield, 7.62x39mm M43 and the .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. Carbines Carbines are similar to rifles, only shorter and usually with lesser range. They were originally designed for mounted cavalry units, but later adapted for rear-echelon units and special forces units such as paratroopers and are seeing more use with front-line units for their versatility in urban combat. They are available in many forms - some, such as the Hi-Point 995 and the Beretta Cx4 Storm, are designed to fire pistol rounds, while others, such as the M4A1 and the AKS-74U, are basically shortened rifles. Like rifles, they are easy to aim, making them good weapons for those unskilled with firearms. In particular, pistol-caliber carbines have extremely low recoil and make less noise than rifle-caliber weapons. The smaller size of a carbine makes it easier to carry and to manipulate in close quarters, although the shorter barrels also limit their accuracy and effective range. Also, the smaller size of a rifle-caliber carbine means that it will have greater recoil than a full-length rifle of the same caliber - something for smaller shooters to keep in mind. They are also usually lighter and feature collapsing stocks, making them easier to store and carry around than a full-sized rifle. Shotguns Shotguns are commonly found in three varieties: break-action, pump-action, and semi-automatic. Break-action shotguns have hinged barrels, and are reloaded through opening the hinge and exposing the breech, allowing for old shells to be removed and new ones to be inserted. Break-action shotguns usually hold two rounds (double-barrel shotguns), although single-shot variants can be found. Pump-action shotguns are operated through a pump mechanism that ejects spent shells and loads new ones into the chamber. Semi-automatic shotguns are capable of firing as quickly as one can pull the trigger. While they are often glamorized in zombie films and games as the ultimate zombie-killing weapons, shotguns are not perfect weapons. First, they have a shorter effective range and less accuracy than rifles and carbines. Secondly, the ammunition for a shotgun is bulkier than pistol or rifle ammunition. Finally, shotguns, particularly 12 gauge shotguns, have a tremendous recoil, which can startle and even injure an inexperienced or weak shooter. However, a shotgun can be very useful for pushing zombies back, for blowing open doors, or for fighting living humans that may pose a threat. If one is to use a shotgun for fighting zombies, he or she should do so with a knowledge of the weapon's limitations. It is recommended that a less-powerful ammunition type, such as 20 gauge, be used instead of the more powerful 12 gauge, especially if the shooter is of a smaller stature. 20 gauge shells have less recoil, they take up less space that can be used for other things, they are readily available, and they will still stop an attacker cold at the close ranges that a shotgun is used at. It is also recommended that a shotgun's barrel (but not its stock, which is necessary for absorbing the recoil) be sawed down to a reasonable length. A sawed-off shotgun is easier to carry and to aim in close quarters, and the reduced range and accuracy matters little for a weapon that is primarily used at close range. Though one must be careful if they attempt to modify any weapon, as if the modification is not done correctly, it may damage the weapons effectiveness or outright destroy it. Shotguns are best used like pistols: in close quarters and in indoor environments. Shotguns are also relatively easy to find, as they are common police, home defense and hunting weapons in most countries. Automatic Shotguns (autoshotties) can fire faster but have higher recoil-and a citizen can easily panic with it. Sub-machine guns Sub-machine guns are compact automatic weapons that fire pistol-caliber rounds. They are easy to use and carry, they usually hold large amounts of ammunition (about 30 rounds per clip), and the ammo is fairly common. They are comparable to pistol-caliber carbines in power, range, and accuracy. However, unlike most of the above weapons, they are not available to civilians, which will make it difficult for most people to obtain them. (As SWAT and special forces teams are overrun, however, it may become easier to obtain one of these weapons.) Also, when using a sub-machine gun, it is important to keep it on semi-auto mode, as fully automatic fire is only a waste of ammo against zombies. The temptation to go full auto may be an argument against the use of these weapons by some people. Machine guns The primary use of a machine gun is to lay down suppressing fire to scare the enemy and get them to take cover. And zombies don't get scared. It's best to just forget about using these weapons. They're difficult to aim, fully automatic fire is a waste of ammunition, and even "light" machine guns like the M249 SAW are often much bigger and heavier than rifles. The only reason to use one is if you see it lying around, there's a big crowd of zombies after you, and the ammo can't be used in any of the guns that you're carrying. After you're done, just drop it and leave it behind. Bows Unless your name is Ted Nugent, Green Arrow, or John Rambo, it's not recommended that a bow be used in a survival situation, especially one involving zombies. The advantages of this weapon (they're silent, the ammo can be reused) are outweighed by its flaws. They require a lot of training and strength to use effectively, they have a limited range, they have bulky ammunition, they have a slow fire rate, and if you get injured, you may be unable to use your main weapon. There's a reason why guns replaced bows on the battlefield: it requires much less training to use a firearm than a bow and arrow. And no, don't even try to put an explosive tip to the weapon. The weighted arrow will probably only fly far enough to blow you to smithereens. Crossbows The main advantage of a crossbow over a rifle is that it is extremely quiet. When one realizes how well a zombie can hear a distant gunshot, this makes the weapon very useful for someone looking to evade zombies instead of fighting them. Also, it eliminates the main problem that the traditional bow and arrow has as a survival weapon: it does not require a great deal of strength and training to use. And again, the ammo can be retrieved from dead zombies. The crossbow also has a surprising amount of stopping power, capable of stopping large boar in one shot, depending on the strength of the crossbow and the size of the bolt. Several modern crossbows also allow for the addition of scopes or laser sights. However, it still has the slow fire rate, bulky ammunition, and limited range that the bow suffers from. Consider the crossbow as a weapon if your survival plan involves evading the zombies rather than fighting them outright. Mêlée weapons Melee weapons are used in hand-to-hand fighting. They can range from simple tools to long blades designed for combat. Since ammunition will become increasingly difficult to come by, it is important to keep a quality close-quarters weapon handy. Bludgeons Bludgeons are weapons that do damage through blunt force trauma. Such weapons can be found almost anywhere. Crowbars This is an incredibly useful weapon. Not only can you bash zombies with it, but you can drive the curved end down through a zombie's head, killing it instantly. On top of that, crowbars can be used for their original purpose - prying things open. They are also quite durable, and are readily available from any hardware store. Its only drawback may be its limited range. Baseball bats Baseball bats are big, they have a long reach, they have a lot of power, and they can be found anywhere baseball is played (which is to say, anywhere in the United States). However, killing a zombie with a bat takes a great deal of upper body strength - the kind that steroid-fueled baseball players have. For most people, it will take several strong blows to the head after knocking the zombie down to kill it. For this reason, it's advised that you only use it if you're fighting one zombie at a time. Wooden bats are preferable due to their increased weight and durability - a lightweight aluminum bat will get smashed to hell in no time. Baseball bats are most commonly found in sporting goods stores and at baseball fields, though they can also be found in homes, often as ad-hoc home defense weapons. Cricket bats Popularized by Shaun of the Dead, cricket bats can be found throughout Britain and other cricket-playing countries. They are similar to the American baseball bat, with many of the same problems. When using one, consider using the narrow end to hit zombies with - it will increase the pressure on the skull, making it easier to crush it. However, doing this may strain the bat. Pipes Pipes are generally to be found anywhere there is plumbing, which is basically anywhere a human would inhabit. There are several varieties of piping coming in a variety of different materials. These include lead, copper, iron, steel and PVC plastic. Ideally, the best piping to use as a weapon would be any pipe with a heavy weight. Steel and lead pipes would be best suited for the task of bashing heads. Iron pipes are somewhat rare these days and copper pipes are typically not very thick. PVC piping should be ignored altogether. While durable and light to carry around, the PVC piping would probably do little more to a human target than inflict a headache or a broken nose, which is useless in the face of the unfeeling undead. Carpenter's Hammer The way that a carpenter's hammer is weighted makes it easy to drive it through a zombie's skull. However, its short reach means that you will have to get uncomfortably close to a zombie to kill it. Consider switching to a better weapon when you find one. If you're fortifying a building, however, a hammer is invaluable for putting up and maintaining defenses. They can be found in hardware stores and in the average garage. Sledgehammer Sledgehammers are generally used in demolitions and heavy construction work. With a heavy end weighing as much as ten pounds connected to a long two-to-three foot pole, it can bash through a brick wall if given enough time and smash an unprotected skull like an over-ripe pumpkin. However, they are massively impractical weapons. Unless you're John Henry reincarnated, you're going to get tired quick. And ten to one says you're already exhausted lugging the thing around everywhere. Every swing will also take precious time to recover from. So unless you plan on knocking down a lot of dry-wall, you should probably stick to a smaller hammer. Pickax Pickaxes are tools used primarily in agriculture, mining and stone-cutting. The iconic pickax is a two-pronged tool with a flat spade-like end and a spike. However, most are simply two "picks" or a single pick. Its history extends to prehistoric times. It's no longer used as a mining tool in most countries, who opt to use machines and explosives. But it is still used as a home utility tool for cutting weeds. Both ends can do serious damage to a zombie if used to hit in the head. But their relative rarity these days, coupled with their heavy weight make them generally undesirable. Tire Iron Tire Irons are used to replace flat tires in emergencies by prying the edge of a tire away from a wheel, typically coming in pairs. Since most are made of metal and have both heavy and blunt ends, they are sometimes depicted as ad-hoc weapons. In a zombie outbreak, the tire-iron and crowbar in terms of use against zombies are somewhat identical. But the tire-iron is better for prying tires off and the crowbar better for doors. Mace Maces are large weapons used by various nations across the globe during the Middle Ages. If ever there were a zombie outbreak in medieval Europe, the knights who knew what they were doing would probably be using these. A single swipe of a well-made mace can cave in a steel helmet and the head unfortunate enough to hide under it. Its pronged (sometimes spiked) knob is also capable of breaking even the thickest bones. However, as may be expected, maces are somewhat rare these days. And being the heavy weapons they are, much skill and strength are required to use them. However, if you can find one and have the considerable body strength required to effectively wield it, you have yourself a great close-range zombie-smasher. Bo Bo are extremely long wooden or metal poles. These were the weapons of legendary Shaolin monks--reported to be capable of holding off whole armies with them--and one of the four primary weapons of Chinese Martial arts. The wooden Bo is deceptively effective at breaking limbs and heads, the metal versions even more so. However, it's generally not advised, as unless you are one of the aforementioned Shaolin, you're more likely to kill yourself with the bloody thing than any of the shambling re-animated. Stabbing weapons Stabbing weapons like knives, bayonets and spears are designed to pierce enemies, causing blood loss and damage to internal organs. Since zombies aren't affected by either of these things, stabbing weapons are largely ineffective against them. A knife driven into a zombie's skull will get stuck there, and it is difficult to line up a spear or bayonet so that it will go into the skull. However, it is useful to keep a survival knife handy for non-zombie related situations, such as cutting rope or fabric, or dealing with bandits. Long blades Long bladed weapons come in a variety of forms, from the workmanlike machete to the elegant Japanese katana. Machetes Machetes are built for chopping through thick material, such as brush, wood or, as seen in some Third World countries, flesh and bone. This makes them very useful for zombie combat, as they can be used to decapitate zombies, split their skulls, or cut off their limbs to make them easier to kill. Also, they're easy to use, and they can be used for utility purposes, such as clearing brush or chopping wood. This blade stands next to the crowbar as one of the most useful melee weapons in a zombie apocalypse. As with any weapon, be sure to choose a high-quality machete, preferably one made of high-carbon steel. They can be found in most hardware and agricultural stores and even at your local Wal-mart. Katanas Katanas are the much-celebrated traditional sword of the Japanese people. Once the weapon that samurai would live and die by, katana these days are largely show pieces and ceremonial objects. A well-made katana is a wonderful weapon for battling the walking dead. However, it requires a great deal of training to use safely, and requires a great deal of care. Also, most of the katanas found in the West are usually mass-produced by Japan's neighbor China and are not particularly well made - a true katana made using traditional methods is a very difficult weapon to find and will most likly be extreamly expensive. Don't bother seeking one out unless you live near a museum. European Long Sword The staple of a European Knight, these swords are large and heavy two-handed weapons designed to kill horses and cleave through plate-mail armor. These things are big. A single swipe can slice a zombie cleanly in half. However, like the katana, these swords require a great deal of training and maintenance, and truly combat-ready swords are hard to find outside of museums (most of which are so old as to be nearly useless anyway). Also, they are quite heavy. Sabres Sabers are curved blades designed for use by cavalry soldiers and officers as well as naval infantry/marines. They were designed to be used to slash and stab at enemies whilst mounted on a rapidly moving horse, and skilled riders could decapitate an enemy while running full speed on a horse. They were also designed for the close confines of boarding actions against enemy vessels. However, these days, most are only used for ceremonial purposes. Sabres are built for slashing and stabbing, which is not very useful against zombies if aimed at the body. However, a skilled user with considerable strength can decapitate an enemy. And a stab with enough force through the skull would likely cause fatal brain injuries to any offending zombie. But their rarity and specialization make them ill-advised. Chainsaws Thanks to movies and video games, many people immediately think of chainsaws when they think of great weapons for killing zombies. This mentality will get a lot of people killed. Chainsaws are among the worst weapons for putting down the undead. They're bulky, they're loud, they require power, they can get jammed with body parts, and they can easily cut the person wielding it. When they run out of gas or batteries, they may as well be giant clubs. Do not, under any circumstances, even consider using a chainsaw to fight even a single zombie. Also, blood splatter from the saw could get into your eyes and cause infection. So if it is your only option, wear goggles. Spears The Spear is one of the most basic of human weapons. Spears with flint heads were first used by Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man 10,000 years ago, and were later used to great effect by Greek and Roman infantry in the classical age. Today, most Spears are relegated to ceremonial roles, or use by indigenous tribes in rural, remote areas. The spear offers great range, with some exceeding three to five feet, and are as easy to create as duct-taping a kitchen-knife to the end of a broomstick. On the plus side, the spear offers a great range advantage over most other stabbing weapons. On the negative, one can only stab with a spear and once a zombie closes in, the spear becomes less effective. One must not get a Spear confused with a Javelin, as the former is usually only used as a stabbing weapon, while the later is first and foremost a throwing weapon. A spear with a proper weight on the end can make an effective distance weapon, though.